Girl on Fire
by Avengerlicious
Summary: Liz's life was perfect, but she should've known that it wouldn't last. When her own life is in danger, will she choose to sacrifice the lives of the ones she cares about to save herself? Avengers' Apprentice Sequel.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**Loki Dokey, the long-awaited sequel has arrived! I feel like it is sooooo much better than the last one, and I'm actually pretty proud of it. Huge shoutout to JadeCobra (formerly smarty-wanna-party) for helping me come up with the plot, and madscientistavenger for creating the amazing cover :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers.**

* * *

"I have a cure."

I stared up into his enchanting emerald orbs that were surrounded by his pale flesh. "To get it, you must do everything as I say."

I need that cure. I need it now. If he has it like he says, I must follow his orders. It's the only way. "Prove it," I challenged. He pulled out a syringe with a repulsive yellow liquid inside. He stabbed it into my arm, and, to my surprise, the effect was instant. I regained my strength and the pain disappeared. I looked back up at him with pleading eyes.

"I'll do anything."

"Even kill your own father?"

I shrieked and sprung up in an instant. I was tangled in the sheets and drenched in sweat. I let out a sigh of relief. It was just a dream.

I turned my head to see my alarm clock. It was seven o'clock and my first day of senior year. I rolled off my bed and dragged myself into the bathroom. I felt exhausted and weak, and everyday I had less energy than the last.

I shimmied out of my pyjamas and stepped into the steamy shower. I shut my eyes as the hot water rained down on my body.

I didn't have the energy to stand anymore. I slammed my hand against the knob, shutting off the water. I forced myself out of the shower and wrapped my body in a towel before sitting down on the toilet seat. I've taken this too far.

I rested for a few more minutes before returning to the shower to finish cleaning myself. I changed into a simple grey t-shirt, pink skinny jeans and black converse. I did my hair up in a loose ponytail.

I shuffled out of my bedroom and down to the kitchen. I saw the other Avengers sitting around the table, chatting. There was an empty seat with a heaped plate of pancakes sitting in front of it. I dragged my body to sit there, passing by my dad who was heading down to his lab. He placed a kiss on my forehead and greeted me before continuing his way.

I sat limply in the chair, digging in to the pancakes. They were delicious.

I listened to their conversation, but I didn't contribute. I really couldn't even think.

As soon as I had gobbled up the pancakes, I grabbed my pre-packed school bag. I walked into my suit, which was already standing open in front of the balcony doors. The whole world knew me as Magma, and Iron Man's daughter, so everyone was already used to me flying to school in my suit. Most people think the mega popularity I have is awesome, and it was for a while, but now I wish I could switch it off. I don't have the physical energy to put up with everything.

I waved goodbye to the Avengers and flew off to school.'

Arriving outside the school grounds, I stepped out of my suit and sent it back to the tower. I started my slow walk toward the entrance of the building. I didn't want to go in. I just couldn't. But I had to.

I tried to stay low-key on my way to my locker, keeping my head down and hoping the other students wouldn't recognize me. I managed to do it successfully, which was a relief.

As I shuffled around the stuff in my locker, I caught a glance of Johnny walking into the building with Jessica, a gorgeous brunette, at his arm. He caught me staring, but couldn't tear his eyes from mine. Our faces were blank, but eventually we lost contact when he turned into another hall.

Johnny and I had drifted apart over the years. We just… lost contact. I don't know how it happened, but he officially ended our relationship last year when he met Jessica. He didn't shatter my heart, though. I knew I had bigger problems, and honestly, it was a bit of a relief that he left me. With one less person caring about me, I would be able to hide my condition better, and it would be easier for everyone if only a few people actually cared.

I shut my locker slowly and started walking to my first class, maths. It used to be my best subject. I would always get a's in it, but with less energy, my grades have been dropping too. I'm failing more than half my subjects, and I have to burn all of my report cards to hide it from my dad. He can't know.

"What's up, girl?" I heard Grace's unmistakeable voice greet. I put on a large grin, no matter how wrong it felt.

"Just going to maths."

"How was your summer?"

"Pretty good. I went to Paris." It's true, but I didn't do any sight seeing. When my dad was working, I was in the hotel, lying on the couch and watching French TV.

Grace continued to ask me about my vacation, mostly about the hot French boys. I zoned out and just nodded along. I focussed on my steps, making sure I didn't trip over my own feet.

When I got to class, everyone was already seated. I apologized to the teacher and took an empty seat at the back.

"Feeling tardy, are we Ms Stark? Why don't you solve the problem on the board?" I was afraid he'd ask me to do this. I stood and shuffled to the front, taking the pen from the teacher. I stared at the equation, not having a clue of what to do. It was a simple quadratic equation! I could do those in my sleep when I was thirteen!

My hand lingered over the board. I didn't know what to write. I blanked. I started to write some working beneath the equation, and I was happy that I could get halfway through, but then I was clueless. "I'm sorry, sir, I don't know."

"Take a seat, and don't be late again."

Everyone stared at me as I walked back to my seat. They couldn't believe that I, top of my class since kindergarten, couldn't solve a simple equation like the one on the board.

I kept my head down on my desk, hoping to god that he could fix me.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**I know it's short, but I didn't want to put too much in this chapter, but in future chapters there will be so much more to write about, so they'll be longer. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers.**

* * *

I had to walk to and from school the next day, which was utterly exhausting. Apparently my suit had some mechanical issues and there was no one available to drive me. I didn't have a problem with being alone, because if anyone tried to hurt me, I could easily just burn them. Everyone knew I was a mutant, so I was always safe.

But apparently, not everyone is scared, because on my way home from school, I did have an encounter with someone I didn't especially want to hear from.

I was taking a shortcut home through an alley a couple blocks from the tower. He walked out from behind the garbage bin, blocking my path.

I recognized him vaguely, but from the one place I never would've believed. He was tall with scarily white hair and vibrant green eyes.

I hurled a fireball at him with all my strength, but it diminished before it could even reach him. I glanced at my hand in shock. I wasn't only losing my physical energy, but my powers were failing too. I tried to get inside his head, but I couldn't read a thing.

I gave up on using my mutant abilities, and decided on using the power of words. "What do you want?" I demanded, trying to sound as confident as I could, but my voice ended up shaking a little.

"The mighty Magma is losing her power. I can help."

"How?" I asked.

"I have a cure." His voice made me want to throw up. "But if you want it, you'll have to do everything as I say." Oh no, this is exactly like my dream. I need the cure, but what he's asking is just so twisted and sick, I don't know if I can do it.

"Prove it." From inside his jacket he pulled out a syringe with a sick yellow fluid inside. Before I could say another word, it was stabbed into my arm as he pressed down on it. I felt better, so much better. I felt alive again. I felt strong.

I know my decision is borderline wrong, but I have to do this. I need to live. "I'll do anything."

"Even kill one of your precious Avengers?" I gulped but then nodded. I need to live.

"Excellent. You have until twelve tonight to leave Stark Tower and meet me here. If you tell anyone, I will find you and everybody you have ever cared about and kill you all. Understand?" I couldn't speak. My throat physically couldn't produce sound. I just nodded. He and his sick grin disappeared into the crowds of the city, leaving me struck in fear in the middle of that alley. What have I gotten myself into?

* * *

I glanced at the clock beside my bed. It was eleven:thirty. Everyone had already gone to bed, and I had half an hour to leave the tower.

I had already packed a small backpack with two bottles of water, a couple of energy bars, some clothes and a book. I took off my anklet, which had a tracker in it, and changed into black skinny jeans, a white shirt and a black denim jacket and my converse shoes. I slung the backpack onto my shoulders and started out into the main hallway as quietly as I could. I managed to get to the elevator without making any noise. I even left the building without any of the guards questioning me. As soon as I was outside, I was sprinting to the location I was meant to meet the guy. The serum he had given me hadn't worn off, and I was full of energy. When I arrived in the alley, I waited. The guy wasn't there. I glanced back up at the tower, wishing I was still there, curled up in my bed. I suddenly saw a figure shoot out of the tower with a trail of orange following. My dad in his suit. Jarvis must have alerted him I was gone!

I ducked my head so that he couldn't use facial recognition to find me, and crouched beside the big garbage bin.

"To be honest, I didn't think you would come." I jumped when I heard his voice and spun around to see him, wearing the same outfit and looking just as scary as he had been earlier.

"What makes you say that?" I asked him curiously.

"Oh, nothing, just most superheroes aren't as selfish as you are, that's all." Selfish? I'm not selfish!

He grabbed my arm tightly and pulled me out of the alley and shoved me into a black car. He followed me in and said, "Drive," as soon as he shut the door. The car lurched forward and sped off into the night.


End file.
